Young volunteers optimistic for Nepal's future
After being picked up at the airport in Kathmandu, the volunteers made the four hour journey together to RIMs, a partner Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) also working in the Terai, Hill and Mountain eco-regions of Nepal. Following the beautiful Tilaka (तिलक) welcome, all the volunteers were able to get settled in to their temporary home before starting their Raleigh Nepal orientation and introduction to Expedition, trek and community programmes.
The induction programme opened with an overview of Nepal; it’s diverse geography, generous people, rich culture and stratified society. Over the next few days the volunteers will start to get to know each other and their volunteer managers as well as learning more about life in community and hands on practical skills such as how to build a tap stand (a simple contraption used in hand-washing) to ensure they are well prepared for Expedition.
From Bermuda, Nepal, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom (UK), all of our volunteers are full of enthusiasm and can’t wait to get started! We caught up with some of the new arrivals to find out how they found their first day of training and what they are most looking to:
“I’ve just finished my final year at college, and I haven’t applied to university because I’m not really sure what I want to do. I hope that volunteering with Raleigh will help me find my passion and discover the person that I want to be in the world.”
Tadas, Lithuania
“Nepal was my first choice of Expedition, because it’s the country that I knew least about, and then, when I started to do some research I heard about the 2015 earthquake. With such a drastic change in people’s lives, I hoped that I could really make a difference. I’m really looking forward meeting the people of the mountain villages.”
Sorcha, UK
The impact of the 2015 earthquake is still very much in evidence across the country and the fragile landscape is scattered with disaster recovery and reconstruction projects. In Nepal, our Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects are very much shaped by this disaster. Working with local partners we prioritise sustainable projects targeted at the most remote and vulnerable communities affected by the devastation. By working with such positive and enthusisatic young people we hope to create a better future. Why not join us as a volunteer and work towards lasting change in Nepal.
Blog post by Communications Officer, Susie Hill and Photography by Rachael Sture. For more information and the latest updates, follow the progress of our programmes in Nepal on Facebook and Instagram.
Phone signal and wifi can be extremely limited in Nepal. If you’d like to contact a volunteer while they’re on Expedition, if you have any further questions feel free to contact us
